Description

In Paris’ 17th Arrondissement, a 54-hectare site on former railway land has been converted into the “Éco-quartier Clichy-Batignolles”. Around the ­newly-planned Martin Luther King Park, a sustainable neighbourhood has arisen with a varied mix of uses and a socially diverse structure: 50% of all dwellings are subsidised social housing.

The blocks at the east end of the new quarter, ­completed in 2015, encompass a residential home for the elderly, social housing, private apartments, shops, businesses and a chapel. The end of an almost triangular plot facing onto the park is occupied by a building that resembles a jagged outcrop of rock and contains 86 private apartments and the chapel. The section along the edge of the block contains 46 social housing apartments and two ground floor shops.

Between the two apartment blocks is a residential home for the elderly that is part of the same volume as the social housing and together they surround a common courtyard. Through its integration within the block and the quarter, the elderly residents live in the heart of the city and can participate in the urban dynamism and vitality of the city.

Triangular balconies in red, orange and white are set back into the face of the building, creating a varied and animated pattern across the façade. The south-facing façade at the east end steps downwards, allowing daylight to penetrate deep down into the internal courtyard and the rooms around it.

Each of the 129 rooms has its own bathroom and a balcony or direct access to the roof terrace that runs around the perimeter of the sixth floor. On the ground floor is a comfortable restaurant adjoining the main entrance and reception, and a communal meeting space. In the rooms as well as the communal areas, attention has been given to high-quality finishes. A coordinated colour concept and the use of direct and indirect lighting help to create a friendly and comfortable interior.

One of the units with twelve rooms is specially conceived for the needs of patients with Alzheimer’s ­or dementia. The care concept aims to allow ­residents to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. The range of ­different ­activities available enriches their social life and creates opportunities for social interaction and communication.

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Originally published in: Eckhard Feddersen, Insa Lüdtke, Living for the Elderly: A Design Manual, second and revised edition, Birkhäuser, 2017.